Climate crisis: Is it making weather forecasting harder?

On Tuesday, December 1 at 19:30 GMT:
How important is the way in which you tell someone the weather? How important is the work of weather forecasters and the media when communicating the weather? Not just so you know what to wear that day but so you can prepare for a potentially life-threatening event?

As the climate crisis escalates, it’s common to see the media reporting on extreme weather events causing widespread destruction. From bushfires in Australia to cyclones in Mozambique – communities now more than ever need to understand not just what the weather will be but very specifically how it will impact their community.

A new report by the World Meteorological Organization has said weather forecasting needs to move to a more impact-based approach from a descriptive one. Fully adopting that method, the report says, would leave communities better prepared for extreme weather events. It also proposed the implementation of new weather-warning systems, which would be particularly helpful to small island nations where resources for impactful weather forecasting are limited.

On this episode of The Stream, we’ll discuss our changing climate, extreme weather, and how vital information can be communicated so that it saves lives.

On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:
Audrey Aumua, @AumuaA
Deputy Director General, Pacific Community
spc.int

Owain Wyn Evans, @OwainWynEvans
Weather Presenter, BBC
instagram.com/owainwynevans

Sally H Potter, @SallyHPotter
Hazard and Risk Management Researcher
hiweather.net